meats



Aug. 31, 1943.

W. H. MEATS TRAILER VEHICLE Filed OGtfS, 1941 3 SheecS-Sheet l jzvhor WILLIAM HENRY MEATS iiarfzeq/s Aug. 3l, 1943.

w. H. MEATs TRAILER VEHICLE 3 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed OC'b. 9, '1941 Aug. 31, 1943. W, H MEMS 2,328,387

" TRAILER VEHICLE Filed Oct.4 9, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 n nyerzzar WILLIAM HENRY MEAT-s 1 enema Agg.. 31, .1.943,

Vtrailingvehicle lmoves rearwardly lrelative to theV lated six-wheeled trailer jiehicle of Ytypei appreciated' that twof distinet`niovements taire' tends 'laterallyfrom this pivot andactsfas athrnsti v the trailer turns "infielatiofn to the trao'torfunit ally attached to *a1-*bracket '10 prdvided cnltliejv thesev two movements on independent lqwr mtmnswmeensofaking pinwl'vad this irloltonal surfaces, sofas `to incase'tlfieemciency v H upper sectiongzi is l'im'mnteci in theframe or i of 'the relative motion obtaining between, thel chasisefthetrailr.unitilp The top surface'v pt rvtidularly of` the specified By l incorporating a tumtagble'oormection betweenthe v1 tor-unit 6 and-the tra/'iler unit IfI itwill be apprei ac'besed fbfylt'he provision'of a plurality ofsepo-l i motion H.permitted'ttiftlfie trailerunit -II relativel' l vthe tractor unit.

alternativeforms by the accompanying drawl .and the flooror unde1's`urface-- of the trailer unit end of a vehicle incorporating a trailer mounted 5fof the turntable is rigidly secured tothe tractor .ncation'in the construction and assembly of the and register `with the. longitudinal slot obtaining rturntable andlink units as compared with Figt 1. 455v between the parallel guide `rails ISa formed on f. Ragusa? rn Y .y Y w mmmnmm;wameknigmna,mignu 'uwrhelagkmgineeringicnnmy Limited, v Wm arm-Kish eomnanyfV n l. g appli, ogn octnrfaisiipseriainiiioi 1 f il "liileatritanSeptemberigjig@ `irivenifffn haarefeten wimprpvemsnts Fiat istDlnlffthaimssen'iffiiwith: with trailer vehiclesandis; more Ap`a.ry .thetrailer vehiile turned' throughjan angle inf l tieulaaiyappiicable to trailer'vehicles' which. are. Vrelz a tiontojtl'ie. 1ongitudinaljcer itreiine'thiougli` com iectedto anautoinobile and wherein ,the c or`1`` r thej tx-acting' v e'hiele. .l j I nectionbetweenlthe automobile and trailing ve-i V5, Referring iirsttothe V:con struction showniin 1 Mdssaf th form Wbherrbcdiesa tlirnlfabia` Figsglandimci thelorawingsgwhich illustrate tha mmepammiariy thatjtype eftumtamemncnis invention as appliei t@ a motor vellewhah, lriiowjygiV asa `retractinglizlirnfcable-` wherein the embodies `a retractable turntable for anjarticuf unit when the iatterxis on iockorabout 1 0 tiiefiowersfecti'on 5 of theturntahle is mounted on to'lturn a comer. l. 11 f the .chassis frame of .thetractonunitbymeans.2.

"lheobectof the present invention istoper-f` v o fj:triizoriiC illSffl` which' permitjof the necessary the'trailer ventoledoeiiiggrnoiiirted nearerA rocking"movementobtainingv betweenfthe Y thearivers cab of tnentratoivumt thereby'afi u riitsogtiievehiie; Atessa ispmvideciatthej j .Y fordlngi'nereased body space and improvinglthe 15 front of `the'l'ofvver ,Section5 of theltiirntable to @mamme-ofthe eempieteveieie. in:whitev which is'pivotauyattaehed a imkjawhich eirplaoe when the vehioleis :tumdondockf member, .the other end ofthe link being pivotandseoondlythe trailer backwards" or ior- 2Q fronte( Ltrailer unit jI I."1"The"-uppc r section 'Il wmilslnalsliding andit is desirable to of' the tinntahle iisfpivotally connected:jto 'the trattori and the trailer. *Bydisposing tl'lejk25 Voi? 'this sectionnlofjthe turntable is provided wit1r` tunning andfsliding motion Aso`"thatfthis1in(Sorbo;`E 9" frietionalgiiide blocks or `project-ionsIlfwhich ratstwoi'ilictionalrmirfaces' instead of the one extend into registernandzengagemfeht with lonsurface normally obtaining, `the frietionii-l` `wear g-itudinaliy arranged g-i1ide"slots uformed ingjth more adequately pater-ed for and the sin`-` floor Yor undersurface-ff the' trailer rurrjiitvl 4 faces more adequately-lubicatedand'protected 3g means off 'parallel guide rail s` ,Iai,whiehelongitu from dirt or other foreign matter. i' i dlnally extend for `parti of thelength of thetrailerl J'IheinEVentirincOnSSts of atraileif vehicle n|lore-` unit. l

Y is: means vor :eenneetin btw'enthe 'trini-` troc'tor `.uriltfaradV fthetrailer Yit-rid isy char- `elatedthatin*adv.litiongto therotary or turning' rate frctiona1"surface contacts associated with to the tractor unit `lia rearwardf'or .tertiairislide*l the turntable for the .purpose of producing a asfftl'ie-,leas'emayiefisfimpartedto combined .rotatiinal and traversing motion in` a the'Y traileiin-it I1 inrlelitiontothefrea o'iwoab l horizontal plane `cf the trailer unit relative to 40 6a of the tractor unit Btlirough `the radial lirk i i A connection 9 andthe frictiona-l coupling' obtain-` 'I'he invention will now be illustratedin two ingbellwen the uDDersCtiOn l2 ofthe turntable V ings, in which similar reference numeralsindi Ii. .Y cate similar parts in the different views. 45 Referring now to the Vmodification shown in Fig. 1 is aside elevation of part of the forward Figs. Sand 4 of the drawings,V the lower section in accordance with this invention. unit 6` and the upper section I2 of the turntable Fig. 2 is a plan of the parts seen in Fig. 1. illusis directly but rotatably mounted thereon. Extrating the trailer vehicle turned through lan 50 tending from this upper section I2 is a bracket angle in relation to the longitudinal centreline I6 in which .is provided with a pivotal or trunthrough the tractor vehicle. nionmounting I'I` for the slidable guide blockV 1lg.l3 is a side Aelevation illustrating a modior" member 14a which extends intofengagement Y or'attached to the yundersurlace or iioor ofthe trailerjunit Il. In this construction what may and rockable thereonA about a transverse axis, Y arsecond member supported by the first member be'termed Vthe rear end of the radial link 9 is .I

pivotally mounted on the lower section of the turntable; and theiorwardend of V this Vlink isi 1 connected tothe front end ofthe trailer unit II. In this construction it is desirable that the pivotal .connection of thelink orlthrust member' 9 shall incorporate a universal joint coupling 8a and Illa so as Vto provide forlany unevenlmovement ,119i

obtaining betweenthe trailer unit- Il landthe;`

tractor unit 6 as well as for the radial move?" ment of the arm` 9 when thevehicle is -turning. Y j

.In both of the?illustratedconstructionsLthe.,y

turning and slidingmotion of theitrail'er unit' il relative to thetractor unit `l is similar.

. It will be appreciated that/'in bothof ythe illustrations ofthe invention the link 9 WhichV Y cou-ples the bottom section 5 of the turntable to f the forward1 end fof the trailer unit l l effects the rearward Ya`n'cl .forv\`fard motions oftheV trailerv again Aassumes al 'straight pathl theV trailer unit recoversits normal position longitudinally beand rotatable relativev thereto, means for maine Vtaining'the lirstand second members centered with one anotherya third'member which sup`- ports the front end of the trailer and is supported by the second member Vand has associated therewith ways Vproviding Ylinear movement of the third member relative to the second member in a direction parallelto the longitudinal axis of the Atrailer and -means actuated by` relative Vrotation 'of the' first and second members for` producing `:relative linear movement Vof the third member tocause the tractor, and trailer tofmove -apart :when theyswing out of alignment Awith one another. Y i

:l 3: Ina V.tr'aeter-trailer vehicle; in combination, e a memberV supportedby the rrear end of the tractor, a second member csupported by the irst member -andrrotatable relative thereto, means for maintaining fthe iirst and second members centered ,with c onei another; c a Vbasesupported. by

the second member and rockable; thereon about an axis transverse tothe trailer, a third member which supports/,theiront end ofthe trailer and is supported' by saidbasefand' hasy associated therewith Ways providing linear vmovement of the'thirdmember relativeto said base in a direcytio'nparallel to the longitudinal axis of the trailer,

and means actuatedby relative rotation of .theVV Y iirst and second members for producing relative hindfthe'tractor unit ,byaturning motioninthe 1, oppositedirection ofv the trailer unitV upon the turntable'vvhile at ithersame time la forward or Y Q1. In altractoretrailervehicle, in combina-fation,v a lowermember and an Vuppergmember supportedthereon which are rotatable/ relative relatively -ifotatable members centered. withV one another, a third member having associated there- Withvva ys providing linear; movement of ysaid third member grelativeto .one f `fk said relatively.

rotatable members, the Weight ofthe front end of v the trailer being vsupported upon the rear end of the tractorthrough the engagement of said relai' tively rotatable: members with one another, and [also through] 1',h e V linearly movable engagement, ofV said third member, and means actuatedvby relative rotationfpf the rst and second members for producingV relative linear movement of 'the ,2.In a tractor-trailer vehicle, fin combination,

a member supported bythe rear end of the tractorf :thrusting 'motion is imparted to theff'orvvard end` l ofthe trailer unit. 1 r- I ylinear movement of thethird member, to cause the tractor and trailer to move apart when Vthey. swing out of .alignment with one another.

e; In a tractor-ftrailer vehicle,` in f combination, af lower member and. an upper-member supported thereon which arerotatable relative, to one afiother, means for maintaining said relatively 1' o;

1 tatable members centered rwith one another, a

40v to4 one;Y another, means f orlmaintaining said i v third member to cause thetractor and trailer to move apart when fthey swing out of 'alignment with one another.

third member'having associated therewith ways providing linearmovementof said third member. relative to one of said relatively rotatable mem- Y :berath Weight ofthe front end `of the trailer beingV supported upon theV rear end of the tractor,V through the engagement of said relatively rotat-i able members with one another, and also through, the linearly movable engagement of said third 'memben and a link having Vone end pivoted at a pointv substantially Yon the center line of `the tractorand its' other `end pivoted atza point sub` stantiallyon the center line fof the trailer, said linkfbeingactuated by relative rotationof the first andsecond members for'producing relative linear movementvr of the third' memberto `cause the tractor and trailer to movev apart when they,

swing out of alignment with one another.

VvvILLI'Ai/r HENRY MEATS,Y 

